Anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A prospective randomised controlled trial comparing tracheal intubation plus manual in-line stabilisation of the cervical spine using the Macintosh laryngoscope vs the McGrath(®) Series 5 videolaryngoscope.
Cervical spine immobilisation can make direct laryngoscopy difficult, which might lead to airway complications. This randomised control trial compared the time to successful intubation using either the Macintosh laryngoscope or the McGrath(®) Series 5 videolaryngoscope in 128 patients who had cervical immobilisation applied. ⋯ There were five McGrath laryngoscope intubation failures, three owing to difficulty in passing the tracheal tube and two to equipment malfunction. Equipment malfunction is a major concern as a reliable intubating device is vital when faced with an airway crisis.
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During central neuraxial blockade, identifying the midline in parturients can be difficult, particularly if they are obese. We assessed the ability of women in late pregnancy, both obese and non-obese, to identify the midline of their own back by pointing and by pinprick discrimination with reference to the true midline identified by ultrasound. ⋯ Identification of the midline using pinprick was poorer by obese women (median (IQR [range]) 33 (25-45 [3-85]) mm) than by non-obese women (18 (13-25 [8-40]) mm; p < 0.0001). However, women in both groups were correct > 99% of the time in identifying that a stimulus was either to the left or to the right side.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of magnesium sulphate on coagulation after laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery, measured by rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM(®) ).
We investigated the effects of magnesium sulphate on blood coagulation profiles using rotational thromboelastometry in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery. Patients were randomly allocated to the magnesium group (n = 22) or control group (n = 22). ⋯ All maximum clot firmness values of ROTEM analysis were significantly lower on the third postoperative day in the magnesium group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). We conclude that ROTEM analysis demonstrated that intra-operative administration of intravenous magnesium sulphate reduces blood hypercoagulability in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery.
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Review Meta Analysis
The efficacy of lidocaine to prevent laryngospasm in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
The purpose of this meta-analysis was to determine the efficacy of lidocaine in preventing laryngospasm during general anaesthesia in children. An electronic search of six databases was conducted. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were adhered to. ⋯ Subgroup analysis revealed that both intravenous lidocaine (RR 0.34, 95% CI 0.14-0.82) and topical lidocaine (RR 0.42, 95% CI 0.22-0.80) lidocaine are effective in preventing laryngospasm. The results were not affected by studies with a high risk of bias. We conclude that, both topical and intravenous lidocaine are effective for preventing laryngospasm in children.
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Comparative Study
A comparison of airway dimensions, measured by acoustic reflectometry and ultrasound before and after general anaesthesia.
Changes in airway dimensions can occur during general anaesthesia and surgery for a variety of reasons. This study explored factors associated with postoperative changes in airway dimensions. Patient airway volume was measured by acoustic reflectometory and neck muscle diameter by ultrasound echography in the pre- and post-anaesthetic periods in a total of 281 patients. ⋯ A significant decrease in median (IQR [range]) total airway volume (from 63.8 (51.8-75.7 [14.7-103]) ml to 45.9 (33.5-57.2 [6.4-96.3]) ml, p < 0.0001), and a significant increase in muscle diameter (from 4.3 (3.3-5.6 [2.2-9.0]) mm to 5.8 (4.7-7.3 [2.8-1.3]) mm, p < 0.0001) and neck circumference (from 34.0 (32.5-37.0 [29.5-49.0]) cm to 35.0 (33.5-38.0 [30.5-50.5]) cm, p < 0.0001) were observed. It may be possible that changes in airway volume and neck circumference were influenced by surgical duration or peri-operative fluid management (ρ) = -0.31 (95% CI -0.24 to -0.01), p = 0.0301, -0.17 (-0.23 to -0.06), p = 0.0038, 0.23 (0.12-0.34), p < 0.0001, and 0.16 (0.05-0.27), p = 0.0062, respectively). The intra-oral space can significantly decrease and neck thickness increase after general anaesthesia, and might increase the risk of difficult laryngoscopy and intubation if airway management is required after extubation following general anaesthesia.